A touch panel is a device that can detect an object, such as a finger or stylus, in contact with the touch panel. Touch panels can measure various parameters of the user's touch, such as the location at which the touch occurs on the panel, the duration of a touch event, etc. Touch panels can be included in devices such as touch screens and touchpads.
A touch screen is a device that can display images and also detect an object in contact with the screen. Touch screens are used as a user interface in various applications such as mobile phones, tablet computers, etc.
A touchpad is a user interface that enables a user to provide a touch input. Touchpads are used in applications such as laptop computers, in which user input is provided through the touchpad (e.g., to move a cursor) and images are displayed on a separate screen.
One type of touch panel is a capacitive touch panel. Capacitive touch panels include a capacitive sense matrix including conductive rows and columns. In operation, the capacitance between each row and column of the matrix may be detected. A change in capacitance between a row and column can indicate that an object is touching the touch panel near the region of intersection of the row and column.